Cold, dark mornings rewarded with owl sightings

After retiring from years of underwater work as a Navy submarine officer, the
longtime Bainbridge Islander got the chance to train his eyes skyward. He was
ready to rekindle a passion for birds that inspired him as a curious
kindergartner in Ohio. But with a full-time job as a high-school science teacher
and two young children at home, the only time left for birding was from 3 to 6
a.m. "And that kind of limited the birds," he says.

A friend took Acker to see a Northern saw-whet owl in 1994, and it's been owls
ever since. "Besides the fact that they're as cute as the day is long," he said
of the elfin species, just 7 to 8 inches in height and weighing in at less than
5.5 ounces. "They're also very numerous and responsive to calls."

"This is primo owl season," says Acker, who will be out alone scanning trees
with his Night Vision monocle this weekend while you're sleeping. In January and
February owls are establishing territory, pair bonding and beginning courtship.
Great-horned owls are already sitting on eggs, and barred owls will begin to
nest in early February.

Use your ears

Acker says that those of us who dwell mainly in the diurnal realm would be
surprised by the supreme quiet of the early morning forest. Like the birds he
seeks, Acker's most essential owling tools are his ears.

"Half of my detection is by hearing," he said. "There's a misconception that
owls are silent fliers, but every time they land, they generate sound. Often
there's moisture on the trees, and when the owl lands, all these little droplets
of water cascade downward."

A self-taught owl expert and licensed bird-bander, Acker has been studying
Bainbridge owl distribution since 1996. He bands barred and Northern saw-whets
to study territory size, numbers and distribution. This time of year Acker finds
up to five different owl species: great-horned, barn, barred, Western
screech-owls and the saw-whets.

What began as a hobby has led to illuminating findings, including some trends
over the past 12 years. Natives of the East Coast, barred owls have been slowly
expanding their territory westward. The first individual was reported on
Bainbridge in 1992, and Acker counted 86 barreds during the 2008 Audubon
Christmas Bird Count.

"People keep asking, 'What's their saturation level?' - but we just don't know,"
he said. Acker has documented one barred owl continuing to nest even with a
greatly reduced territory, as new barred neighbors close in. Though he
emphasizes his evidence is only circumstantial, Acker is concerned about how the
increase in barred owls might relate to the decline in Western screech owls.
Counting 12 screech pairs 12 years ago, he was unable to locate even one
individual during the recent Christmas Bird Count.

"This is a common trend among those who do owl research, yet nowhere do we see
them being listed as a species of concern," he said. "To me, their numbers are
crashing. They are a species we should be watching and caring for."

Well-adapted hunters

An engineer by training, Acker is drawn to the unique adaptations that make
owls such good nighttime hunters.

"From their talons to their sight to their flight, there's so many amazing
things that they do to," he said. "I'm intrigued by how they process sight and
sound to be successful as a species." For example, human ears are placed
symmetrically on our heads, while most owls' ears are asymmetrically aligned,
helping them to zero in on their prey with uncanny precision.

If you're interested in seeing our nighttime birds in the wild, Acker recommends
going out with an experienced owler. Consider trips offered by Seattle Parks
Department (see "If You Go") and Seattle Audubon, or meet other birders on the
Tweeters Web site (www.scn.org/earth/tweeters).

Acker urges anyone using taped calls to draw owls in to do it responsibly.

"The bird is responding to what's perceived as a threat to its territory or to
its mate, " he said. "I try not to bother the same bird two weeks running."

During the Northern saw-whet migration in late September and again in February,
Acker finds it hard to keep his focus on daytime duties. When he turns up to
teach class looking like he's been out all night, his students assume he's a
great partyer.

"I tell them I'll catch up on my sleep when I'm dead," Acker says. "There's too
much going on in this world to sleep."

Disclaimer: This article has been reproduced from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com and placed here for comment.
OwlPages.com is not responsible for the accuracy of any information in this article, and does not necessarily agree with the author's opinions.